A Child's History of England.72

Bruce, after losing a battle and undergoing many dangers and much misery, fled to Ireland, where he lay concealed through the winter. That winter, Edward passed in hunting down and executing Bruce's relations and adherents [follower/supporter], sparing [宽恕] neither youth nor age, and showing no touch of pity or sign of mercy. In the following spring, Bruce reappeared and gained some victories. In these frays [打斗], both sides were grievously [very serious and causing great pain or suffering] cruel. For instance - Bruce's two brothers, being taken captives desperately wounded, were ordered by the King to instant execution. Bruce's friend Sir John Douglas, taking his own Castle of Douglas out of the hands of an English Lord, roasted the dead bodies of the slaughtered garrison in a great fire made of every movable within it; which dreadful cookery [烹饪] his men called the Douglas Larder [a small room or large cupboard for storing food in a house]. Bruce, still successful, however, drove the Earl of Pembroke and the Earl of Gloucester into the Castle of Ayr and laid siege to it.

The King, who had been laid up [stay in bed] all the winter, but had directed the army from his sick-bed, now advanced to Carlisle, and there, causing the litter [轿] in which he had travelled to be placed in the Cathedral as an offering to Heaven, mounted [上马] his horse once more, and for the last time. He was now sixty-nine years old, and had reigned thirty-five years. He was so ill, that in four days he could go no more than six miles; still, even at that pace, he went on and resolutely kept his face towards the Border. At length, he lay down at the village of Burgh-upon-Sands; and there, telling those around him to impress [使铭记] upon the Prince that he was to remember his father's vow, and was never to rest until he had thoroughly subdued Scotland, he yielded up his last breath.

be to do sth: 要干sth.

六级/考研单词: undergo, miserable, flee, conceal, hunt, execute, pity, mercy, grief, captive, wound, roast, slaughter, dread, siege, litter, cathedral, mount, reign, princess, vow, thorough, yield

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